Rock started as a small community. William O. Keys
established the first US. mail route in 1926, using a horse
and buggy to deliver the mail. With the coming of the rural route,
Rock became a much larger town. At the present there are two rural
routes serving nearly 2000 customers. Also a new brick post office
was built in 1991.
Rock is located along Bluestone River on State Route 71.
Four swinging bridges were built across Bluestone River and a passageway
called a ford was made in the river near the post office, so horses and
buggies could cross. In 1917, a one lane steel bridge was built across
the river near Rock school. It served a useful purpose for many years.
The steel bridge was torn down in 1988 and replaced with a new two lane
concrete bridge. Work began on the new bridge on February 18, 1988. The
new bridge was opened to traffic on November 2, 1988.
Rock had many business's in the early 1900's including
three General stores. One of the stores had a barber shop and a post
office was located in one of the others. James David Rufus Wright
owned the General Store with the Post Office and served as one of the first
postmasters at Rock. He also helped found the Rock Methodist Church.
Later he sold the store and bought a farm on Wright Mountain. He
is the grandfather of Margaret Wright Keys.
A concrete block plant was located in Hughes Bottom.
A casket company was owned and operated by a Mr. Sales. An embalming
service was located in the same building. A Plaining Mill was located
in Rock where logs were made into smooth finished lumber. There were
three saw mills in Rock. The Tunnel Grist Mill ground corn and wheat
into flour and meal. This mill was located about two miles down Bluestone
River on what is known as Rock River Road. The tunnel which was bored
through solid rock to provide water power to the mill still stands today.
A hotel and boarding house were located in midtown Rock. The
men who built the railroad stayed there. The Virginia railroad and
The Norfolk and Western railroad were built through the town of Rock in
1907. A tunnel was cut through the rock cliff that Rock was named
after for the railroad to go through. There was a passenger station
located near the steel bridge for the Norfolk and Western Railroad.
Another passenger station was located near the Bottling Plant for the
Virginian Railroad. Combined, both railroads had as many as ten passenger
trains as well as several freight and coal trains passing through Rock
everyday.
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The Rock Cliff for which the town of Rock, West
Virginia was named.
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A hospital was built at Rock in 1910. The
attending physicians were Dr. John Bird, Dr. Fred Barger, as surgeon
and Dr. E. Vermillion. Dr. John Bird made house calls on horse back
and on foot, carrying medicine and supplies. His office was in his
home beside the hospital. The hospital is still standing today, occupied
by the Bernard Sutherland family. Also, Dr. Bird's home is still
there with a family living in it.
Another business that came to Rock as the Rock Mineral
Springs Bottling Company. A galvanized pipe was run from a good distance
on Black Oak Mountain to provide water for the plant. Later a well was
dug near the plant. The original well didn't provide enough water so another
well was dug nearby. It was an Artesian well and still furnishes water to
homes located near the site of the old plant. The bottling company was well
known for it's Rock Cliff Ginger Ale. The plant also bottled Rock Cliff soda pop
in many different flavors. There were as many as 50 people employed
there. The Coca Cola Company of Bluefield bought the plant and it's
bottling machinery was moved there in 1970. Most of the people who
worked at the Rock plant were transferred to the Bluefield plant. The Bluefield
plant continued to bottle Rock Cliff products for many years afterwards.
The first school in Rock was a one room
building made of logs located on the Black Oak Mountain road. Later a school
was built on Wright Mountain. Also there were two, one room school buildings
near the Rock Baptist Church. These schools were closed in 1913 and a two room
brick building was built near the steel bridge. Later two more rooms were added
over the two existing rooms making this a two story building. Grades 1 through
8 were taught in the school. Later it was reduced to grades 1 through 6.
Miss Ethel Clark was the first teacher of the school. Some of the other
teachers were Gladys Vaughn, Blanche Vest, Elizabeth Hall, Mamie Parks, Mary
Underwood, Ray Bailey Josie Alger and Harless Cook. Rock School had a total of
21 principals during it's history. The school was closed in 1973 due to
declining attendance and consolidated with Montcalm Elementary School. Jim
Bailey of Rock was the principal there.
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Third and fourth grade class at Rock School taken in the 1950s.
Principal Blanche Vest is seated at the back of the classroom.
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Ms. Vaughn's class at Rock School taken about 1951.
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ROCK VIEW SWIMMING POOL
Rock had many recreational facilities,
such as Rock Swimming Pool for the public, with a Skating Rink nearby. Also,
Rock Baseball Park, owned by the Crockett Bailey family. The ballpark was a
favorite family activity. Baseball players from all over southern West Virginia
came to play ball with The Rock Team. Families packed picnic lunches and spent
the day. Often there were gospel and country music concerts in the
park. Rock School always had their last day of school picnic there.
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At first it looked like Rock would be a growing town, but
promoters could not buy land at a reasonable price and it resulted in an
undeveloped town. Businesses and industry's went elsewhere. Rock is a
quiet. peaceful community today. A lot of the former residents have passed
away or moved to other places. It is still a good place to live.
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